


it's only a matter of time

by inlovewithimpossibility



Series: inlovewithimpossibility's Olicity Summer Sizzle 2019 Fics [6]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Olicity Summer Sizzle, Post-Episode: S07e22 You Have Saved This City, felicity's birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 16:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19977403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithimpossibility/pseuds/inlovewithimpossibility
Summary: The mornings of Felicity's thirtieth and thirty-fifth birthdays are vastly different. The former is spent with her husband, anticipating the arrival of their baby girl and the latter is a far more lonely affair but a certain blonde-haired little girl seeks to change that for her mama.





	it's only a matter of time

The morning of her thirtieth birthday, Felicity wakes up at four-thirty in the morning with Mia’s foot pressing into her bladder.

“Can’t give your mom a break on her birthday, kiddo?” She sighs as she huffs and carefully moves Oliver’s arm off of her. He must have sneaked closer to her during the night.

Whilst they’ve always slept entangled, the summer heat and her pregnancy have made cuddling during the night practically unbearable. The expression on Oliver’s face when she brought it up had broken her heart but she truly appreciates the ability to sleep semi-comfortably.

He stirs a little as she slips out of bed but he simply groans and rolls over, making her snort. Who would’ve thought a few months ago that her jumpy and constantly vigilant superhero would be sleeping through significant changes in his environment?

She had been so tired last night that she’d fallen asleep on the deck whilst she and Oliver were sat out there, enjoying the quiet evening and each other’s company. Her husband carried her to bed extremely carefully which Felicity considered an impressive feat seeing as she feels about triple her pre-pregnancy size. (She’s actually only gained around 22 pounds so far and Oliver is well… Oliver). That being said, despite the early morning, she’s not feeling particularly tired.

The comfy chair in the new nursery they’ve just finished setting up is calling to her so, with one last look towards her still slumbering husband, she makes her way into the adjacent room and sinks into it with a contented sigh.

Felicity absolutely adores the nursery. It’s painted such a beautiful shade of green, an idea that Oliver had initially raised an eyebrow at but Felicity put her foot down. When he finished (he wouldn’t let her near the paint fumes), he finally agreed that it is a wonderful hue. The crib, chair, and changing table were all chosen painstakingly from an online site, the both of them curled together as they poured over the tablet and Felicity had almost cried when Oliver produced the mobile he’d found in the store in town with its little elephant charms. The whole room is just perfect and Felicity’s so excited to bring their little one home to it.

“You are wriggly this morning, huh baby girl?” She comments quietly as she rubs her hand over her bump in an attempt to calm her unborn daughter. Feeling her move is such a strange sensation but one she’s grown to absolutely adore, especially now that she can share it with Oliver. The two of them can spend, and have spent, hours just laying there and getting just as excited every time Mia moves just a little.

They’re around a month away from Mia’s due date and Felicity honestly just cannot wait to meet her baby girl. The loss of feeling like a beached whale will be a huge perk in her opinion but she’s most excited to finally get to look upon Mia’s face. She’s been imagining since Dr. Schwartz told her the happy news who Mia will look more like. She hopes she’ll smile like Oliver, in that lopsided way that always melts her heart, but Oliver has made it very clear that he’s praying Mia is a miniature version of Felicity.

“We’ll see who’s right very soon, Mia-Bia, but I know no matter what, you’re going to blow both of us away. We love you so much, baby girl, both your daddy and I. You truly don’t know just yet how loved you are, my little star, but I promise you there is absolutely nothing you could ever do to make us love you any less than all the way to the farthest stretches of the multiverse and back.” 

She’s been talking to Mia since before she was even showing but it feels like so much more now, like there’s truly a connection between the two of them and Felicity gasps as Mia kicks her gently as she finishes speaking as if to return her declaration of love.

“What are you doing up so early?”

Felicity looks up at her husband’s voice to see him leaning against the doorframe of the nursery with that lopsided smile she was just thinking about on his face.

“Someone was using my bladder as a trampoline,” Felicity explains just as softly, grinning up at him as she rubs her hand over her stomach and Oliver’s eyes light up as he pushes off the door. He makes his way over to her and bends down next to the chair, his hand joining hers.

“We gotta work on your manners, baby girl. Your poor mama deserves to sleep in on her birthday.” He speaks to her stomach in that tone that still makes Felicity tear up. Honestly, she had been unsure that her husband had a tone softer than the one he generally uses with her and William but then he began speaking to their unborn daughter and she was proved entirely wrong. The love that Oliver has for Mia shines through every word and reverence and disbelief still seep into his tone, despite them only being a month away from her arrival.

“I don’t think she quite understands the concept of birthdays yet, honey.” Felicity chuckles, running her fingers through his short hair. He looks up at her with a grin and rises up a little, his hand moving to grasp hers gently in his own.

“Well, I do.” He whispers and leans closer to kiss her softly, gently, slowly. It’s the sort of kiss that used to be rare between them, shared only for occasional nights where the city didn’t need them and their world was able to be narrowed down to just the two of them. The slow pace is so much more common now and, despite the slight onset of cabin fever, Felicity could not be more grateful to be able to treasure these moments with her love.

“Happy birthday, my love,” Oliver whispers reverently, his other hand leaving the chair to cup her cheek tenderly. “Welcome to your thirties.”

“You know, I think my twenty-year-old self would have probably had a heart attack if you told her that this is where she’ll be in ten years.” Felicity quips and Oliver chuckles.

“You wanna try? I can probably get in contact with Sara.” Oliver jokes and Felicity snorts, shaking her head.

“As if Miss ‘The-Timeline-Must-Be-Protected-At-All-Costs’ would allow that.” She tells him with a grin and Oliver shrugs, his thumb rubbing over her cheek softly.

“I don’t know. There are very few people in the world who are immune to your pout and I can guarantee that Sara Lance is not one of them.” He smiles back just as brightly and Felicity giggles with a blush before she raises an eyebrow.

“Are you?” She asks and Oliver raises an eyebrow of his own, bending down to her stomach once more.

“Baby girl, are you messing with your mama’s brain because I know she’s smarter than this?” He questions and Felicity laughs, pushing on his shoulder.

“You’re not funny.” She comments even as she grins at him and he chuckles, pressing a kiss to her stomach and then to the back of her hand.

“Miss Mia thinks I am.” He states definitively and Felicity shakes her head.

“Miss Mia does not understand the concept of humor, I guarantee you. Her lungs aren’t even fully developed yet.” She reminds him and Oliver shrugs, pushing up onto his feet.

“Give it a few years and she’ll think I’m the funniest man she’s ever met. I promise you.” He tells her with a nod as he holds his hands out to help her up.

“Where are we going?” Felicity asks as he pulls her to her feet and Oliver smiles.

“I think my birthday girl deserves a birthday breakfast.” He tells her with a wink and Felicity grins, following after him as a pout starts to form on her face.

“Pancakes? And then dessert?” She questions and Oliver frowns, turning to look at her.

“Dessert? …Oh! You mean…?”

“Yes, old man. Goodness, I hope my thirties don’t make me as senile as you.” She giggles as she pushes past him, sending him one of her signature not-quite-winks over her shoulder, and grins when he shakes his head and moves to catch up with her.

“You’re lucky it’s your birthday and you’re carrying our baby or I would definitely get you back for that.”

* * *

Five years later, Felicity sits in the kitchen wrapped in her husband’s hoodie. It’s technically too warm for it and has long since lost his familiar smell but she sparingly sprays what’s left of his cologne on it every few weeks for days like today.

If she closes her eyes, she swears she can still hear the sound of his laughter as he listened to her recount her struggle of attempting to shave her legs as he made her his famous blueberry pancakes. She worries that she’s forgotten the sound of his voice and the exact way his head would tilt as he smiled at her. It’s on those days that she’s grateful for technology and it’s wonders. They were never big home movie people, their lives were too crazy and dangerous for that, but the documentary Oliver made five years ago has become a huge comfort to her, and to Mia.

_Mia._

Her sweet and fiery little star. The only thing getting her through this heartbreak. After almost five years, it doesn’t hurt any less but the way that Mia grins up at her in the exact same way as her father used to gives her the strength to go on.

Her heart still aches every day for her husband and for her son, whose grandparents made it abundantly clear that they do not recognize her as William’s parent and that William himself does not wish to make contact with her. Her mother once described having a child as growing a separate piece of your heart and Felicity thought that sounded strange until William came crashing into her life. She’s grateful for the analogy now because, whilst Mia’s chamber of her heart is full and thriving, Oliver and William’s are broken in a way that she fears will not repair for an extremely long time, if ever.

“Mama, you can’t be sad! It’s your birthday!”

Felicity jumps at the sound of her daughter’s voice, immediately snapping out of her thoughts as she turns to see her daughter stood by the island, a stern expression on her face and her hands on her hips. She’s full of sass, is her Mia, and Felicity often wonders whether that’s a little of her Aunt Thea coming out in her.

“Who said I was sad, munchkin?” Felicity coughs, painting on her best smile as she tries to subtly wipe away the few tears that have escaped her eyes. Mia is having none of it, however, and she shakes her head with a sigh.

“You’re wearing Daddy’s green sweater. You only wear that one when you miss him lots and lots and that makes you sad.” Mia tells her and Felicity frowns briefly at the thought of her four-year-old psychoanalyzing her by the clothes she’s wearing. She’s right of course, Felicity does tend to reach for this particular hoodie of her husband’s when she’s missing him especially hard but she’s never really thought about it like that before.

“C’mere, baby girl.” Felicity prompts and opens her arms, watching as Mia scrutinizes her for a second more before she rushes over, climbing into her lap with her usual agility. She closes her eyes for a moment as she breathes in the smell of Mia’s shampoo mixing with the comforting scent of Oliver’s cologne. Mia smiles and wriggles closer, leaning her head on Felicity’s shoulder as her little hand fists in the hoodie. Felicity can’t delude herself that her daughter is a baby anymore, she can’t even be described as a toddler and that thought sends a pang through her chest. At almost five, Mia is looking more and more like her every day and, whilst sometimes Felicity wishes that she could see a little more of her husband in their daughter, she can’t help but be grateful that Oliver had one of his wishes come true, even if he isn’t here to see it.

“Do you miss him extra because it’s your birthday, Mama?” She asks after a while and Felicity smiles, her hand moving to softly run her fingers through her daughter’s hair.

“I miss your daddy every day, Mia. It’s sometimes worse on special days because those are the moments he really deserved to see and to celebrate. Do you understand that?” Felicity speaks softly and slowly, watching as Mia’s brow furrows in a very familiar way.

“I thinks so. Like he should be here for it all but it’s harder to ‘member on special days ‘cause they makes us think about the people we loves?” Mia asks and Felicity smiles brightly, nodding her head. Mia’s brain never fails to astound her, she has a way of understanding people and emotions that is so surprising for a child her age.

“Yeah baby, that’s it exactly. When did you get so smart, huh?” Felicity smiles, running her fingers along Mia’s side.

“Dunno, must be a gift,” Mia comments seriously and Felicity can’t stop the laugh that bubbles out of her. “Mama?”

“Yes, Mia?” Felicity asks, matching her daughter’s inquisitive tone which makes the four-year-old giggle before her face grows serious again.

“Can I give you your present now?” The child asks, grinning widely and Felicity shakes her head, pressing a long kiss to her daughter’s forehead.

“You’re the only birthday present I need, munchkin.” She promises Mia but Mia merely huffs, rolling her eyes. The action is far too amusing on a four-year-old.

“Mama! You saids that at Chrismukkah too!” Mia laments but Felicity merely smiles, shaking her head.

“That’s because it’s true, baby.” She confirms and Mia looks at her, obviously exasperated.

“Well, I already gots you a gift and it would be rude for you to refuse it.” She states definitively and Felicity chuckles, lifting Mia out of her lap and placing her carefully on the floor.

“I suppose it would, wouldn’t it?” She comments and Mia nods, heading out the room already as she calls over her shoulder.

“Uh-huh! Be right back!”

Felicity watches Mia rush off towards her room with a fond smile. If she had the power to change this situation, she obviously would. She would give anything to have her husband and son here with her and her daughter but if this is the way things have to be, she’ll count her blessings that she still has Mia to keep her sane. Her promise to Oliver hangs over her but it’s not a looming presence, more of a light at the end of a tunnel, a promise of the dark clouds parting to finally give ways to sunlit days once more.

For now, however, she’ll enjoy this day with her baby and hold each day that she gets to watch Mia grow close to her heart.


End file.
